Helping you to party in peace

POLICE arrested nine people and issued one fixed penalty for alcohol-related crime and disorder in Rochdale town centre last weekend as part of Operation Coal. Following the launch of Operation Admiral to tackle alcohol-related crime across Greater Manchester police in Rochdale requested extra funding to continue their work to secure party-goers' safety.

CRACKDOWN ... police in action during Operation Admiral, which led to the latest anti-crime patrols in Rochdale.

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POLICE arrested nine people and issued one fixed penalty for alcohol-related crime and disorder in Rochdale town centre last weekend as part of Operation Coal.

Following the launch of Operation Admiral to tackle alcohol-related crime across Greater Manchester police in Rochdale requested extra funding to continue their work to secure party-goers' safety.

Operation Coal was launched on Friday 14 August and has seen the police working together with the council, licensees, club security and traffic wardens to ensure that clubbers can enjoy a night out in safety.

During the weekend a team of 10 officers on foot patrolled the town centre streets making arrests for offences ranging from aggressive behaviour and verbal abuse to assaulting a police officer.

Using radios to communicate with door staff, police were alerted to incidents as they happened and could be at the scene immediately, controlling problems before violence escalated.

Operating a zero-tolerance approach police and licensees have been circulating a "barred" list, which is updated every month and has photo ID of previous offenders, who have been called in front of a panel of licensees and given a banning order.

Armed with a finger printing recognition device, known as a "lantern", police could also automatically identify anyone who had been causing trouble and may pose a danger.

And ensuring that once the party-goers had left the town centre they had a safe journey home traffic wardens and a licensing officer worked to prevent taxi drivers from parking illegally and conducted spot searches to check that they were carrying the required equipment, including a first aid kit and fire extinguisher.

Speaking about the recent fight outside the Kandy Club, which had resulted in the club's temporary closure, Sergeant Carl O'Brien believed that the incident has acted as a warning to town centre licensees.

He said: "I think shutting down the Kandy Club, sent out the message that violence wont be tolerated in Rochdale. Club security has become more professional and all the door staff are now wearing high visibility jackets

"I don't think a lot of people realised that a club could be shut for a crime and disorder issue."

The first arrest during the weekend was made at 12.20am on Friday 18 September when a man who had been given a previous warning for damaging public property returned and became abusive to police officers.

Despite already being asked to go home and sober up, the man had returned with some friends and became confrontational - swearing and shouting at officers.

Sergent O'Brien said: "This lad was spoken to earlier and told to go home. What we were going to do was issue a direction to leave - just to say look you're drunk and you've been spoken to, but he started shouting and swearing and we were left with no choice but to arrest him.

"I could guarantee if we hadn't arrested him, he would have been fighting later on - he's drunk that's what happens.'

Later opening hours have meant that police no longer have to deal with a "mad hour" with all of the clubs shutting at the same time, but the change has also meant that problems of alcohol related violence have been spread across a greater time period, with bar staff working through the night and clubbers "pre-loading" before they come into town.

Co-owner of Mango, Mark Foxley, said: "When I first started I used to shut Mango at 10.30pm and now I have to open it at 10.30pm.

"From a commercial point of view licensees were happier with the old opening times, but we've got to keep pace with the rest of the UK and Europe.

"In the next five years we're going to sell even less alcohol, what we will be selling is atmosphere."

Sergeant O'Brien added: "I think in a major town you're always going to have issues with crime and disorder. The 2am closing time used to create a mad hour, but now that it's been pushed back it's just staggered getting home.

"I think the bar owners would like to go back to the old system, they're probably selling less because people are coming out later and their staff are working through the night.

"You'll never have a crime free town centre, our culture is different to Europe in terms of what people drink. We can only do what we can to control it.'

Suzy Woods, of Rochdale Town Centre management said: "The pubs, bars and clubs of Rochdale town centre have a number of practices in place to ensure a safe, responsible and enjoyable drinking environment.

"The Best Bar None Scheme, which has been running for the last two years, encourages licensees to act responsibly. To be accredited, venues must meet 22 points of criteria and undergo an intensive assessment.

"Rochdale also has its own very successful town centre Pub and Club Watch scheme, encouraging licensees to promote responsible drinking, drugs awareness and a sense of social responsibility.

"CCTV covers the town centre which, along with the network radio scheme allows for surveillance and effective communication between the venues, the police and other partners such as Town Centre Management. The town centre door staff are also SIA trained and licensees use ‘Challenge 21’ to avoid selling alcohol to under 18s.